Alarm signals for mud pumps



Oct. 18, 1960 J. H. WILSON ALARM SIGNALS FOR MUD PUMPS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 6. 1956 IN V EN TOR. J ohn Ha rt Wils on AGENT- J. H. WILSON 2,956,510

Oct. 18, 1960 ALARM SIGNALS FOR MUD PUMPS Filed June 6, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. John Hart W|lson ALARM SIGNALS FOR MUD PUMPS John Hart Wilson, P.0. Box 329, Wichita Falls, Tex.

Filed June 6, 1956, Ser. No. 589,720

3 Claims. (Cl. 103-202) This invention relates to improvements in mud pump alarm systems, and more particularly to a dual alarm system for mud pumps whereby a drop in the lubricating oil pressure will set off an alarm, or whereby leaking of fluid, that is being pumped past the liner seals, will set 011 the same alarm arrangement.

This application is a continuation in part of my prior application, Ser. No. 454,082, for Cylinder Assembly, filed Sept. 3, 1954, now Patent No. 2,832,653, April 29, 1958.

Various alarm systems have been proposed heretofore to indicate a rise in pressure or a drop in pressure, however, in the present device, the alarm system is so designed as to operate in a dual manner to indicate, either an application of pressure from a certain area, or a drop in pressure from a certain other area.

The present alarm system is specifically designed for pumps and more particularly for reciprocating pumps such as used for pumping drilling fluid during the drilling of oil Wells and the like.

An object of this invention is to provide an alarm system whereby an audible signal will indicate a drop in pressure in the oil system, or a rise in pressure due to the leakage of fluid being pumped past the seals of the pump cylinder liner.

Another object of the invention is to provide an alarm system for mud pumps and the like, which is simple and inexpensive in construction, eflective in operation and which will withstand the rugged service to which it will be subjected and still operate effectively.

With these objects in mind and others which will become manifest as the description proceeds, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts in the several views thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a pump for pumping drilling mud, with the device embodying the invention connected thereto;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view showing a portion of the mud pump and the piping arrangement connected thereto, to show the details of construction;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of the piping and the alarm signal system shown apart from the P p;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the piston value actuator of Figure 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of the pump cylinder with the pump cylinder liner therein, showing the pipe connecting with the pump cylinder which leads to the piston valve which actuates the alarm;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view of a portion of the actuator, as shown in Fig. 4, but with the piston therein moved to another position; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view through a portion of the pump cylinder, and pump cylinder liner, showing packing rings and a Weep ring therebetween.

With more detailed reference to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates generally, a mud pump of the character for pumping drilling fluid, which mud pump has skids or a base 2 thereunder. The mud or slush pump 1, as shown in Fig. l, is of the character wherein certain bearings therein are lubricated under pressure by a lubricating pump 4, which withdraws lubricating oil through pipe 6 from the sump within the housing of the pump 1, and directs it out through discharge pipe 8 and thence through tubing 9 to the various bearings of the pump 1.

The tubing 10 interconnects with discharge line 8 and with the diaphragm chamber 12 of diaphragm actuated valve 14. The valve 14 is normally held closed by the pressure in diaphragm chamber 12. An air supply pipe 16 leads from a suitable source of air and has branch pipes 18 and 21 connected thereto. The branch pipe 18 connects to valve 14 for passing air therethrough, when the valve 14 is open. The pipe 18 connects to branch pipe 24 to which is connected an audible signal, such as a whistle 26, which whistle is so positioned, that upon opening the valve 14, the whistle will be blown by air which is directed from supply line 18, valve 14 and pipe 24. The oil pressure line 10, which interconnects with discharge line 8, has an oil pressure gauge 28 therein, so as to indicate the amount of oil pressure within the lubrication system leading from the pump 4.

The pump cylinders 33 each have a liner 35 therein, which liners each have a shoulder 35a thereon. Each of the pump cylinders 33 is shouldered, as indicated at 37. An annular space is formed between shoulders 35a and 37, in which packing rings 36 are positioned and a weep ring 34, with the weep ring 34 being positioned intermediate the packing rings 36, with one of the packing rings 36 abutting with the shoulder 35a. An annular ring 37a fits against shoulder 37 and against one of the packing rings 36, the purpose of which has been fully explained in the above mentioned prior application.

The Weep ring 3 has an annular groove 34a around the periphery thereof and an annular groove 34b formed in the inner bore thereof, with radial passages 34c interconnecting said grooves at spaced intervals around the diameter of the weep ring 34.

A counterbore 39 is formed within cylinder 33 between shoulder 37 and the seating surface 33b, upon which the inner end of cylinder liner 35 seats. The pump cylinder liner 35 is fitted within the cylinder bore 3312, which pump cylinder liner has O-rings 38 fitted within grooves formed near the outer end of the cylinder and O-rings 40 fitted within grooves formed at the inner end of the cylinder, which respective O-rings seat within the respective bores to form a fluid tight seal with the cylinder 33 to prevent the leakage of fluid being pumped by the pump, between the outer diameter of the pump cylinder liner 35 and the inner bore of the pump cylinder 33, however, when the pump cylinder liner is fitted in place, the counterbore 39 becomes an annular space, which space is usually filled with lubricant under pressure, which normally prevents entrance of drilling mud or other fluid being pumped, into the annular space, which coupled with the sealing action of O-ring sealing elements 38 and iii, provides a normally fluid tight seal.

Should leakage occur past either of the O-rings 33 or 40, the passage of fluid from one end of the pump cylinder liner to the opposite end of the pump cylinder liner, between the pump cylinder liner 35 and the pump cylinder 33, would be interrupted by the weep ring 34, wherein the fluid would pass through grooves 34b, passage 340 into annular groove 34a, thence it would find its way out through passage 33a in cylinder 33 into one of the pipes 30 or 32 connected to passage 33:: in one of the respective cylinders 33, which pipes lead to a combination valve actuator and mud pressure relief valve 44, so as to actuate piston 42 of the valve actuator 44, which, in turn, will move piston 42 and plunger 52 to compress spring 46 and to simultaneously open the piston valve 54. The movement will continue until ports 48 in cylinder 50 are uncovered, which will permit the pressure fluid to escape out through these ports. Pipe 59 is connected to one end of the cylinder 50 by coupling nut 61 and a similar coupling nut 63 interconnects the other end of the casing to piston valve 54. Whereupon, air that is in supply line 16 will be directed through pipe 20 and through valve 54 to direct air under pressure to branch pipe 24, thence to whistle 26. If leakage of drilling fluid occurs and finds its way through weep ring 34, the whistle 26 will begin to sound. Whereupon, valves 56 or 58 within the respective pipes 30 and 32, may be closed, to determine which seals of the cylinder liner are leaking.

A branch pipe 59 interconnects with pipes 30 and 32 and has a valve 60 therein which, upon opening valve 60, the pressure will be bled from pipes 30 and 32, thereby permitting piston 42 to return to the position as shown in Fig. 6, thereby closing air valve 54 which leads to whistle 26.

The pump 4 is driven by a chain and sprocket which is interconnected to a rotatable shaft, which shaft is mounted within the housing of the pump 1.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed 1. An alarm system for use with a mud pump; comprising in combination a reciprocating mud pump having a body, said pump body having a cylindrical bore formed therein, a pump cylinder liner fitted within the bore of said pump body, said pump body having a recess formed therein between said body and said cylinder liner, a conduit connected to said pump body and being in fluid communication with said recess, a mud pressure relief slide valve which valve has a body, a valve actuator body, which valve actuator body is connected to the body of said slide valve, said valve actuator body having a cylindrical bore formed therein, a counterbore formed intermediate the length of said cylindrical bore in said valve actuator body near one end thereof, a transition taper between said bore and said counterbore, said cylindrical valve actuator body having at least one port formed therein which is in communication with said counterbore, an elongated piston of greater length than the length of said counterbore fitted within said cylindrical bore of said valve actuator body, said piston having an annular groove formed in each end thereof, an elastomer, O-ring sealing element fitted Within each of said grooves, which grooves are spaced apart a distance greater than the length of said counterbore, resilient means fitted within said cylindrical bore of said valve actuator body urging said piston to a position to cover said port and said rings to abridge said counterbore when in one position, and to uncover said port when in another position, said valve actuator body having a fluid inlet formed in the end thereof opposite said resilient means and being in fluid communication with an end of said piston, said first mentioned conduit communicating with said fluid inlet, means operatively connecting said slide valve to the other end of said piston, a pressure alarm, and a gas conduit connecting said pressure alarm to said slide valve, a source of pressure and a conduit connecting said source to the slide valve, which slide valve is adapted to be opened a predetermined distance by pressure in said conduit leading from said recess in said pump body so as to move said piston against said resilient means in said cylindrical valve actuator body.

2. In an alarm for use with a reciprocating mud pump, a valve actuator body, said valve actuator body having a cylindrical bore formed therein, a resiliently pressed piston within said cylindrical bore of said valve actuator body, a slide valve operatively connected to said resiliently pressed piston, which slide valve is normally in closed position, means connecting said slide valve with a supply of air pressure, a pressure responsive signal, further means connecting said slide with said pressure responsive alarm signal, a reciprocating pump having at least two cylindrical bores formed therein, a liner within each said bore, a packing element encircling each said liner within its respective bore, each said packing element having an exterior groove formed therein, a conduit connected with each said exterior groove of the respective packing elements, a valve positioned in each of said conduits, a further conduit connected to said first mentioned conduits and to the cylindrical bore of said valve actuator body, and a manually operated relief valve positioned within said last mentioned conduit and being adapted to relieve pressure from said last mentioned conduit intermediate said bore of said valve actuator body and said valves in said first mentioned conduits.

3. In combination with a reciprocating mud pump having a cylinder and a cylinder sleeve liner therein spaced inwardly from the wall of said cylinder, and a first pressure conduit communicating with the space between said liner and its cylinder wall, a lubricant conduit operatively connected to said pump, a lubricant pump supplying lubricant under pressure through said lubricant conduit, an alarm system for indicating pressure above a predetermined degree in one of said conduits and for indicating pressure below a certain degree in the other of said pressure conduits, which alarm system comprises a single, pressure actuated alarm, a pair of fluid pressure lines connecting with said pressure alarm signal and to a source of fluid pressure to actuate said signal, a pair of valves arranged in parallel, one in each of said fluid lines, which valves are positioned intermediate the source of fluid pressure and said pressure alarm signal, a first actuator means connected to one of said valves in one of said fluid pressure lines and with one of said pressure conduits to open said valve upon pressure in said conduit rising to a predetermined degree, a second actuator connected to the other of said valves in the other of said pressure lines and with the other of said pressure conduits, the pressure within said other pressure line maintaining said last mentioned valve closed until the pressure in said last mentioned conduit drops below a predetermined degree.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 989,460 Westphal Apr. 11, 1911 1,209,355 Sutherland Dec. 19, 1916 1,348,604 Titus Aug. 3, 1920 1,992,991 Colley Mar. 5, 1935 2,464,985 McCune Mar. 22, 1949 2,570,154 Prendergast Oct. 2, 1951 2,584,518 Walton Feb. 5, 1952 2,615,419 Topping Oct. 28, 1952 2,633,098 Ellis Mar. 31, 1953 2,662,478 Surre Dec. 15, 1953 2,701,743 Mattingly Feb. 8, 1955 

